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Home > Oceania Junior Table Tennis Champs open at 'Atele

Oceania Junior Table Tennis Champs open at 'Atele [1]

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - 20:53.  Updated on Monday, August 17, 2020 - 17:11.

Cook Islands takes on Australia in the first game of the Oceania Junior Table Tennis Championships, 'Atele Indoor Stadium. 7 August 2019.
 
By Linny Folau
 
The Oceania Junior Table Tennis Championships opened on August 7 with teams from six countries meeting at the ‘Atele Indoor Stadium.
 
Australian High Commissioner HE Adrian Morrison, in a keynote address during an opening ceremony, said “sports is about diet, it’s about exercise, it’s about looking after your body, looking after your mind. It’s about discipline and it’s about team.”
 
In welcoming the athletes and officials from the participating countries, including Tonga, he said one of the best parts of his job was seeing events like this take place that combine sports and youth.

“Thank you for your commitment to sports and I know this is going to be a remarkable and successful championships and I wish all the teams well.”

Anthony Ho, ITTF ( International Table Tennis Federation) Oceania President from Fiji said it was wonderful to see Tonga hosting the championships.

“For those that don’t know, two years ago, Tonga started table tennis. I would really like to congratulate Tonga for this massive tackle in bringing us to the country and hosting the table tennis.”

Fifty players are taking part in the tournament, coming from Tonga (13), Australia (12), New Zealand (10), New Caledonia (3), Fiji (9), and Cook Island (3).

The players aged 11 to 17 years, are playing in singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches.

Netina Latu, CEO for Tonga Table Tennis Federation told Matangi Tonga it had been a team effort to organize the championships, with 20 volunteers from different local sports federations helping to ensure everything runs smoothly for the players and officials.

“We have a boxer helping out, netball, touch rugby, Tonga Rugby, as well as family and friends.”

The championships are sponsored by the Government of Tonga through the Tonga Sports Council, Australian Government, TCC, BSP, Tonga Power Ltd, Ministry of Internal Affairs, TASANOC and DHS (a major supplier of table tennis equipment).

Sponsorship included funding and equipment such as barricades, table tennis tables, and special flooring.

The championships end on August 10.

Tonga's table tennis team at the Oceania Junior Table Tennis Championships, 'Atele Indoor Stadium. 7 August 2019.
Tonga [2]
Sports [3]
Table Tennis [4]
Oceania Junior Table Tennis Championships [5]
Sports [6]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2019/08/07/oceania-junior-tabletennis

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